Mike Trout hits career home run No. 400: Angels slugger becomes just 59th MLB player to reach milestone

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout collected his 400th career home run on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies, becoming the 59th player in Major League Baseball history to clear the mark. Trout, who ranks second among active players in home runs, is now seven long balls away from tying Duke Snider for the 58th most ever. Only he and Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton have reached the 400 plateau among active players. (Coincidentally, Stanton hit his 450th home run earlier on Saturday night.) 

Here’s a look at Trout’s historic blast:

Trout, 34 as of Aug. 7, entered Saturday batting .228/.356/.407 (112 OPS+) with 21 home runs and two stolen bases in 123 games. His contributions had been worth an estimated 0.9 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference, and he had homered just one other time in September and just two other times since the start of August.

Trout, of course, was in the conversation for the greatest player of all time throughout much of his prime. Unfortunately, he’s since been slowed by repeated injuries. He’s tallied two Wins Above Replacement or fewer in three of his last five seasons, and is on pace to do so again this year. Trout had averaged nine Wins Above Replacement from 2012-19, his first eight full seasons in The Show.

There is, perhaps, no better way of capturing Trout’s decline — in availability, if nothing else — than chronicling the length between his milestone home runs.

Trout remains contracted with the Angels through the 2030 season. He’s indicated that he has no intention of asking for a trade to another franchise. 

Who will be the next player to hit their 400th home run? Several big-name stars are nearing the mark, with Paul Goldschmidt, Manny Machado, Freddie Freeman, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Judge, and Bryce Harper sitting within 50 home runs apiece.